News

Andrew Thorpe Joins Gunderson Dettmer as a Partner in the Capital Markets Practice

July 11, 2022Firm News

Gunderson Dettmer is pleased to announce that Andrew D. Thorpe has joined the firm as a Capital Markets Partner in its San Francisco office.

“Expanding our Capital Markets practice is a long-term strategic priority for the firm as our private company clients continue to grow and prepare for the next stage in their maturity and our roster of public companies has expanded substantially. Andy brings significant experience advising private and public companies on a wide range of securities and transactional matters, including IPOs, governance, and complex transactions. He has seen it all and that experience and know-how will help our clients navigate the complex and evolving regulatory environment,” says Gunderson Dettmer’s Northern California Leader Ivan Gaviria.

Andy advises management teams and boards of directors on securities regulation, public offerings, mergers and acquisitions, and key corporate governance matters. In addition to extensive experience representing issuers and underwriters — including in over 40 initial public offerings to date — Andy served for six years at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). While at the SEC’s Division of Corporation Finance and in the Office of Rulemaking, he reviewed and commented on numerous public companies' SEC filings and played a significant role in drafting several landmark regulations under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.

“It is rare to find a lawyer on the West Coast like Andy who has great experience working with technology and life sciences companies as well as deep experience at the SEC. His SEC background will be tremendously valuable to our high-growth clients, especially those companies with disruptive technologies that push the boundaries of the current regulatory environment,” says Jeff Vetter, chair of the Capital Markets practice. “He brings an additional perspective to our practice that will help clients be in the best possible position to prosper when the public markets reopen.”

Andy works extensively with leaders and innovators in a variety of industries, including software, fintech, life sciences, medical devices, clean technology and cryptocurrency. He has experience helping these companies navigate complex, technical and often novel issues in transactions.

“Gunderson represents numerous pioneering clients whose need to transition toward a future in the public markets isn’t going away anytime soon. I believe my experience will help them find that path to success,” says Thorpe. “This is an exceptional team and I am excited to work alongside other partners whom I have known and respected for many years, as we continue to grow this practice together.”

Internationally ranked in Legal 500, Thorpe regularly speaks at the ABA's Annual Review of Developments in Business Financing and is frequently quoted in Law360 and other publications on issues related to corporate transactions and SEC regulations. Andy is a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis School of Law (J.D., 1999) and Emory University (B.A., 1995). He also earned an M.B.A. from Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University. Immediately prior to joining Gunderson Dettmer, Thorpe was a Member at Mintz, and after his service at the SEC, he was a Partner at Morrison & Foerster and Orrick.

About Gunderson Dettmer

Gunderson Dettmer is the preeminent international law firm with an exclusive focus on the innovation economy. With more than 450 attorneys across ten offices in key venture markets throughout the world – Silicon Valley, Ann Arbor, Austin, Beijing, Boston, Los Angeles, New York, San Diego, San Francisco and Singapore – the firm serves market-leading venture capital and growth equity investors and pioneering private companies through inception, growth and maturity, as well as the groundbreaking public companies that result from the global venture capital ecosystem. Gunderson Dettmer’s experience and technical acumen allows its attorneys to predict, prioritize, and produce strategic solutions for our clients at every business phase.